Los Angeles City Councilmen Paul Koretz, 5th District, and Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, recently introduced a motion requesting reports from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Metropolitan Water District regarding local water resilience strategies to address the growing drought crisis.

In particular, the motion requests a review about a pending update to the Colorado River Compact to meet the worsening drought conditions, including the implementation of water conservation elements, water recycling and watershed management approaches like stormwater capture and reuse, groundwater remediation, the use of native plants for landscaping and turf removal programs.

“Los Angeles is leading the way on sustainability and environmental initiatives, and we must lead the way on addressing our worsening drought conditions,” said O’Farrell, chair of the City Council’s Committee on Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice and the Los Angeles River. “I look forward to bringing this item to my committee, and to working with Councilmember Koretz and my colleagues in responding to these challenges with urgency and purpose.”

“Given the enormity of the alarming drought crisis across the Southwest, we need to do everything we can sooner rather than later to protect the future of our great city,” Koretz said. “We are at a critical juncture with new leadership at MWD, the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan in place and rapidly-worsening climate breakdown occurring all around us. We must work collaboratively with our partners across the Southwest toward a healthy, resilient tomorrow.”

The Colorado River Compact is a 1922 agreement between states, native tribes and jurisdictions in the Southwest which governs the allocation of Colorado River water rights. The compact has significant implications for the allocation of water to the city and region. The compact’s water allocation hasn’t been updated since its inception almost 100 years ago, the council members said.